Time
by Izzu
Summary: Hello Monster. It was like handling small animals who've been hurt in the past. You have to take the time to slowly heal their wounds.
1. The Wait

Sort of the continuation of the scene during the first half of Bystander's first chapter.

* * *

Time... and patience. That was her own method to gain people's trust and confidence in order to get people to open up to her. Kinda like one part of the good cop, bad cop tactic. Though in her case, she could not do the whole bad cop part. She could never pull the whole aggressive manner thing, or at least be convincing enough to get people to really think she was a 'bad cop'.

But suppose, it does fit her. To do the good cop thing. Not just because she's a woman, but because she could relate with people. After years of living in the shadows of being 'a criminal's daughter', she could really relate as to why people refuse to trust others. Let alone opening up their hearts to mere strangers.

To reach out to people and to get them to open up their hearts, you certainly cannot rush the process. Appearance doesn't always showed everything about a person after all.

And Lee Hyeon... was the best example for that. Like at first, he may seemed to be unfeeling, arrogant... a jerk. But then, if you were patient enough and try to persevere... you may start to notice that he might really not be that unfeeling or arrogant or rude. That he would hide his vulnerabilities underneath those façade he often show to people.

It's also similar to how you handle animals... when you think about it. Like you may want to try to approach this kitten or puppy, but you may not be able to do so because they were not used to people. Added with the possibilities that those animals might have been mistreated in the past, it would have made it harder for you to approach them.

But if you were patient, sooner or later you might be able to get through...

Perhaps in truth, that was what truly kept her to continue watching Lee Hyeon.

xxx

She could see Attorney Jeong hurrying towards her car as she urgently told him to get in. Without delaying, she immediately made a turn towards the direction of the main road.

"Detective Cha, what's wrong? Was brother okay?"

Jian glanced towards the rear-view mirror as she noted genuine concern from the younger man. Come to think, aside from that particular night when Attorney Jeong was acting like that bastard Lee Junyeong; the boy was all right. This was the same concern he had for her before, the one that she felt she could trust. Perhaps as long as she kept that impression in her mind, she could still trust the young man.

"Mr. Jeong, would you know something... I mean, did something happened in the past between your brother and yourself?" _Like a traumatic experience probably, something really painful that may be unbearable. It must be something like that, right?_

Because she recalled the look Hyeon had before he passed out. As if he'd just remembered something. Because it couldn't be because he saw Eunbok and Seungju fight. It's not like something that could alarm him so much. Lee Hyeon, who could calmly walk into a crime scene without fear. Lee Hyeon, who could calmly watch a dead body without being sick.

And she used to see other people who passed out like Hyeon did. Mostly after receiving sudden shocks or other kinds of illness. But Hyeon wasn't physically ill himself, so she could rule out the latter.

"Did something... happen to brother earlier?"

Jian glanced towards the mirror again. "Unh... not really. But there was an incident... two of my team members fought with each other. It was really nothing. But then Hyeon suddenly fainted."

"Brother... fainted?"

The tone of his voice was neutral, but she could see that Attorney Jeong was hiding something. As if he knew what was it that could be the reason for Hyeon to collapse. Though, seeing that he didn't say anything... perhaps she should just wait until either Hyeon or him to open up to her. It worried her, but at least she know for sure that there was something.

Something that even Attorney Jeong was aware of.

xxx

 _"Uncle, do you really know about that boy? The one whose father was also taken by Lee Junyeong?"_

Detective Yang Jinseok glanced down towards the young girl in front of his desk. His eyes widened. "Ah! You're the kid that kept protesting about—"

"MY DAD WASN'T LEE JUNYEONG'S ACCOMPLICE!"

Yang sat down on his chair."I get it. So what do you want to know about little Hyeon?" he asked as young Jian stared at him.

"Why did you say that he's weird?" she asked again as Detective Yang shrugged.

"Don't you get me wrong, Hyeon's a good kid. A genius even. But as you overheard earlier, Hyeon didn't even cry after what happened to his father. Heck, he didn't even cry when his mother died. Though I suppose that was because the poor kid was too traumatised about the incident. Come to think, Hyeon never smiled so brightly ever since then."

Detective Yang turned towards her. "If you want to be his friend, I hope you don't mind his weirdness. Heavens know it might do good for him."

Jian immediately reacted. "Ah no! I didn't say than I wanna be his friend! I'm just curious!" With that , she ran out of the police station.

xxx

 _But in the end, I did befriend this poor jerk_. Hasn't she? And perhaps, she ended up becoming more than just _friends_ with this person.

Jian sighed as she watched Mr. Jeong—no, Min, ease his brother onto the bed. She could never get tired of watching Hyeon asleep. It's one of the few time she would ever see him so vulnerable.

"Thanks... Mr. Jeong." she said as Min backed away from the bed. She sighed again.

What could it be to cause Hyeon this much distress? Could she even help in making it better for him? Jian sat at the bedside as she gently held Hyeon's hand.

But suppose... in the end, all that she could do was wait by Hyeon's side and wait. Since she was very good at that.

* * *

Sorry. My muse is just all over the place. And a part of me want to expand a bit more on some other minor characters.


	2. Painful Past

"You don't have to stay, Detective Cha. If anything happen, I'll call."

Jian shrugged, as she glanced towards him. "It's okay, I'll just stay with him for now. It's not like I'm needed elsewhere right now..."

Min started to head towards the door as she spoke again. "Do you know something? Before... on some nights, Hyeon used to get nightmares. Most of the times, it's about you. On those nights, he had been looking vainly for you in his sleep. Do you know that?"

"Oh, really...?" The tone was neutral but Jian could see the surprise in his eyes.

"Though I guess, those nightmares stopped after he found you. But I wonder what dream Hyeon was having now? Is it the same nightmare... or a different one?" Jian tightened his hold on Hyeon's hand. "The last few times I just hold his hand like this until Hyeon calms down. Though this time, I'm not sure how it'll help. Since I don't know what troubles him this time."

She could see that Min was about to say something, but he didn't. Instead, Min walked out of the room... leaving her alone with Hyeon. She turned her attention back to Hyeon as he started moaning in his sleep. Jian gently caressed Hyeon's face as she comforted him.

"It's okay, I'm here. Everything will be all right."

xxx

 _"It's because of me."_

"That's why he's like that..."

"That's why Min... to tell me that it's not because of me..."

Jian held Hyeon as tightly as she could while he cried his heart out. Even if she didn't understand what happened. But as she comforted him, she began to piece things out. Hyeon, must have remembered something painful. Perhaps, it was what that made Min become weird. And for Hyeon to be so distraught about it, it must be related to something happened in the past between them.

Suddenly she recalled the thing she talked about with the late Detective Yang. About how Hyeon never cried when his mum and his father died. Yet, Hyeon was crying now.

She recalled as well how, in the case files of Professor Lee Jungmin's death... it was stated that the surviving witness—Hyeon, had lost his memory about the incident. She wondered if it was the same thing as with his mother; that perhaps Hyeon had lost his memory not once but twice. It was never mentioned anywhere on how Hyeon's mother had died, but could it be an incident? That perhaps something happened that was too much for young Hyeon to handle, thus he blocked that part of his memory?

 _Was that why Hyeon had really shitty memories all these times?_

Jian pulled away as Hyeon stopped crying, and wiped away his tears.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

Hyeon shook his head.

"It's because of me that Min was as he is now. I... remembered."

She gently gestured Hyeon to lie down on the bed as she spoke. "Just lie down. You can tell me slowly if you want."

It was then that Hyeon started telling her how a criminal tried to take revenge on his family due to his father, and how his mother was killed while trying to protect them. And then she was told how Hyeon had used his father's gun to stop the criminal from hurting him and his brother. Suddenly she recalled Cho Yongu, and realised that this was the same case as to the incident that killed Hyeon's mother. But it was self-defence, but she understood how that incident would have scarred Min's life...

Jian pulled the blanket over him before tucking him in his bed. "It's not something that you could have avoided. You were still so small then. You wouldn't have been able to handle the gun recoil. And if you haven't done anything, you and Min would have been killed as well."

"But I wished... if only I didn't forget about it...!"

Jian gently caressed his face. "You can't blame yourself. You saw your mother being killed right in front of you. That must have been a horrid experience. You would have wanted to forget the bad memories..."

Hyeon's eyes widened. " _Bad memories_ _._.. father, he must have known. That I... the gun... perhaps that was why he kept worrying about me..."

Jian smiled weakly. "It was unfortunate about what happened to your brother. But Hyeon... at least, you've grown up well... right? And regardless of what happened in the past, you can't do anything to change it. But right now, won't you be able to do something to make it better? Your brother Min is right here with you now, and I'm here. Isn't that good?"

Hyeon looked up towards her. "I'm sorry... Jian. I... must have made you worry."

Jian sighed. "I'm fine. I'll be fine as long as you don't faint on me again like this morning. It's very unlike you to collapse like that."

"Ah, that reminds me... Eunbok and Seungju..."

Jian continued caressing his face as Hyeon started to get sleepy. "Don't worry about that. Captain Kang and the others would be able to handle the situation. You just take it easy. There won't be any new case right now since we're focusing on capturing Lee Junyeong, so you don't have to come to the station too. Just rest."

Hyeon snickered. "Miss Cha Jian, aren't you trying too hard to protect me now?" he asked as Jian sniffled.

"You bet I am! You... you'd think I'd stop after watching over you for 20 years?" said Jian as Hyeon finally drifted to sleep. She gave out a long sigh.


	3. Risks

She read somewhere that sometimes, your sleeping positions can affect your mental health. Or something. But she wondered if the opposite holds true. That your sleeping positions, would tell others on the state of your mental health.

Cha Jian sighed, as she watch Lee Hyeon asleep. Her heart ached. Unlike earlier, Hyeon slept soundly this time. His breathing was a lot more normal as well, and it didn't seem like he was having any nightmares. Yet, seeing him curled up like that on the bed... she felt unease. Not just because of how much he have cried earlier... but also of the emotional hurt she could still sense from him; Hyeon... really looked the most vulnerable she'd ever seen from him.

 _Very unlike him..._

How could she not feel like she want—no, have to protect this child all the time?

Jian walked out of the room, feeling as if she had her life sucked out of her. Then she turned to look at the living room area, and saw Min sitting alone by himself.

Yet another _child_ that was just as unfortunate.

xxx

 _"...your brother, Lee Hyeon... would be in pain, being caught in the middle of this."_

Jian heaved a long sigh as she looked at Min, unsure what else she could say to make him understand what she tried to tell him. Because suddenly, she felt that she shouldn't leave the task of convincing Min to confess his crimes to Hyeon. Hyeon was hurt enough already, she shouldn't pressure him to do something that might be hurtful.

 _Alas... she did hate this job._

"Min... if you still could not understand why was it wrong to hurt others, even when you think they deserved it; could you see it like this?"

Min glanced up to her.

"Would you feel sad if something bad happen to your brother?" she asked as Min nodded.

"Of course!"

Jian smiled weakly. "Wouldn't you think your brother will feel the same about you?" She stared at Min directly in the eye. "Would your brother be happy if someone was hurt because of him? He won't. It'll make him be very sad."

"Actually, I don't need to use Hyeon. If I was in a similar situation, I wouldn't want people that I care about hurt other people. Taking a life... there was no undoing it once it was done. Killing another won't bring back the people who have died either. Because it was something irreversible, that's why it was heavy. That's why... you need to take responsibility."

xxx

 _"Detective Cha... do you fear me?"_

Jian stood before Lee Junho's house as she contemplated her actions.

 _"I suppose at times... I do. But of course I do. Not because I feared for my own life."_

"You asked me this before... right? If I was fearless. Not really. More than fearing for my own life, I'm more scared of not seeing the people I love any more. I was scared at the thought that... if something happened to me, what would happen to Hyeon? What'll happen to the people I cared a lot? I won't be able to see them again. I suppose... one can't help thinking along those lines."

"But Min... I rather not run away."

She scoffed at herself for the crazy idea she was having. "Ah, Cha Jian. Couldn't you be any rasher than this?" She took out her phone and looked for the voice recorder application. "I'm crazy... am I not?" she said to herself before putting the phone back inside her bag.

But was there any other way for her to do it? When there's no remaining evidence to prove Lee Junyeong's identity, no witness who'd want to come out, no traces of his crimes remaining... what else is there? A small voice inside of her kept trying to insist that she call for backup, but if she do... would those people even _allowed_ her to go through with this risky move? _Would Hyeon?_

They probably won't.

She thought of all those times she opened up to that man about her personal life. Thinking about that, who else have ever gotten close with him to be able to say things honestly to each other? Who else could have approached that man and be able to get an honest reply from him? Aside from people connected to Lee Junyeong.

It was a great risk... and she really did feel much like wanting to run away. But could she stand letting Lee Junyeong remain free, risking many others who could potentially be his future victims?

 _"Min... if something happens to me, promise that you'll be your brother's source of strength."_

Jian shook his head. What was her thinking? Leaving her last words? _Don't be a pessimist, Cha Jian! You'll be able to get out of this alive!_ There's no way she could die so easily!

Jian stood in front of Lee Junho's house as she pushed on the doorbell...


	4. Sins

Min let out a long sigh, as he tried to understand the things that Jian tried to tell him earlier. What did she mean about both of them not being able to get a happy ending? What did she mean about trying to do it for his brother? Would he understand why it was wrong to kill someone, even if that person was bad and deserved to be killed? Would he be able to understand it, if he do that? Why couldn't they just forget about it?

 _"A person harming another is still wrong in any circumstances."_

 _"... I would've stopped the bodiless murders..."_

Min cocked his head to one side. "Oh."

That reminds him, his brother never looked pleased whenever he spoke about the things he used to do. Or whenever he talked about certain cases. What was it his brother used to say? Oh... 'it was all right'. But he could see that Hyeon was not all right about it. Hyeon didn't try to force him to change the way he thinks... but it's not as if his brother _wanted_ him to remain the same.

 _"...Would your brother be happy if someone was hurt because of him?"_

 _"Promise me something. If you have to kill someone... that someone have to be me."_

As he thought, even if he wanted to stay with his brother... and no longer wanted to associate himself with Lee Junyeong; a happy ending... it would still be impossible for both of them to get it. Min walked up towards one of the bedrooms and saw that Hyeon was still sleeping. But he noticed that Jian was no longer by his brother's side. Did she left? After talking to him earlier, Jian returned to tend to his brother... and if he recalled, she had fallen asleep beside Hyeon after a while.

Min looked around the house lazily. Oh, it was already dark outside... he didn't notice. Was that why he didn't notice when Detective Cha left the house?

The rice cooker was already turned off. All that was left was for him to prepare some dishes to go along with it. He snickered.

Detective Cha had offered to cook something for him to eat—she wasn't as good a cook as Hyeon but she could still try making something edible—but he declined the offer. Since she looked like she needed some rest herself.

 _"Min... did you tell Lee Junyeong about the incident that both of you were involved in when you were little?"_

To be completely honest, he couldn't even remember ever telling Uncle about that. Though he might have told, or Lee Junyeong managed to find out about it by himself. _He_ certainly had the means to it, and _he_ had their father's journal.

 _"Your brother blamed himself for everything. You know that, don't you? To protect you, your brother shot the criminal that hurt your mother. It was a justified self-defence, but because of what happened to you... he felt responsible for making you this way. Are you aware of that, Min?"_

Min stopped pacing as he got out of the house to get some air. So even if he didn't cause any more trouble for his brother, he would still ended up becoming a burden to him. Min stared blankly in front of him... before noticing a familiar car parked at the nearby lot. He frowned. He thought that Detective Cha has already left.

But surely enough... not long after he had that thought, he saw Cha Jian walked over to her car. She looked as if in a daze but he couldn't be so sure. _But at least she seemed fine_ , Min thought as he went back in to cook up something for Hyeon and himself.

xxx

"Don't worry about it, you just take it easy at home. I'll call if we needed you... but right now, it's okay."

Jian glanced around to check if anyone was watching her before continuing, "We've officially started the investigation with Eunbok, but I suppose it'll be a while before he start to talk. You don't need to worry about that." She sighed. "Sorry, it seemed that I'd be pretty busy with work for the time being. I won't be able to see you for a while,"

Jian ended the call before letting herself be lost in thoughts.

"You seemed well today, Detective Cha,"

Jian jumped in alarm before realizing it was just Min. "Ah... it's just you, Mi—I mean, Mr. Jeong. What brings you here?"

Min shrugged. "I just wanted to visit—" he said before frowning. "That bruise... when did...?"

Jian touched her neck briefly without thinking as she hastily brushed it off. "It's... nothing big. There's no need to be worried."

"Did something happen? Did you went to see... _Uncle_? I saw you, last night."

Jian sighed. "Don't tell Hyeon. He'll be anxious. And I did promise him last time that I'd be more careful. He won't stop fussing if he knew about this..."

She shrugged. "As always, you caught me in the act again."

He could see that she was trying to make light of the situation. He was just making a wild guess, but it appeared that she did go to see Lee Junyeong last night. Was it because of his brother? Because of him?

"Detective Cha, why did you like my b—Hyeon so much?"

Jian just let out another long sigh.

xxx

 _"I could not ignore that person. I cannot stand.. leaving him alone by himself. I guess, when you care a lot about someone; you end up wanting to protect that person with everything you've got."_

 _"You could do anything to me all you want. But don't shake Min. Don't touch him..."_

He didn't expect to see Hyeon get so mad like that. To be so angry as to aggressively threaten Lee Junyeong like that. It was a side of his brother that seemed foreign to him. His kind and gentle brother. Min thought about Detective Cha. What could have happen to give her a bruise like that? Did Uncle attacked her? Did she tried to arrest Lee Junyeong by herself?

Would Hyeon get hurt while protecting him—the same way Detective Cha get hurt to protect his brother? Because why else would she go to Uncle's place last night? Why did she do something so reckless, knowing his brother would be devastated if something should happen to her?

 _"Neither you...or your brother will ever be happy."_

As long as Lee Junyeong is around, he would always go after Hyeon. And he realized, as long as he was around... his brother would have a hard time to get to Lee Junyeong. And as much as he wanted to always be with his brother, Min wouldn't dare force Hyeon and Detective Cha apart. Because no matter what, his brother would still be in pain. He already caused his brother enough grief due to Lee Junyeong's lies and his misunderstanding.

In the end, _that_ was the only answer. The only way to end things and not cause his brother any more hurt. To protect his important one. Even if it meant that he had to disappear as well. His brother would certainly be saddened because of this. Detective Cha too. But at least they could be happy without having to worry about Lee Junyeong again. Time would heal all wounds.

"Hyeon, are you busy tomorrow?"

Min smiled. Before anything, he should make his brother happy for once.


End file.
